Launch of the Professional Practice Guidelines Psychoeducational Assessment

Launch of Professional Practice Guidelines on Psycho-educational Assessment and Placement of Students with Special

Overview 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Background Guiding principles Chapter highlights Reliability of

Professional Practice Guidelines for Psycho-educational Assessment & Placement of SEN children RATIONALE • Changes

Background • Developed by a Multi-Professional workgroup from MOE, KKH DCD, NUH Department of

Guiding Principles • Contextualized • Evidence-informed • Implementable • Guide (not replace) professional judgment

Chapter 1: Definitions 1. 1 1. 2 1. 3 Psycho-educational Assessment Special Educational Needs

Special Educational Needs Pg 6 A student is considered to have SEN when all

Pg 7 “As a student’s SEN are an interaction between the student and the

Chapter 2: Psycho-educational Assessment Data 2. 1 Sources of Assessment Data 2. 2 Types

User of Assessment Tools and Data Pg 12 2. 3 User qualifications Based on

Chapter 3: Assessment for Specific Purposes 3. 1 Assessment to Ascertain Appropriate Special Educational

Chapter 4: Assessment Considerations for Specific Populations 4. 1 Students with Visual Impairment 4.

Chapter 5: Framework and Pathways for Educational Placement of Students with Special Educational Needs

Local SEN Policy • A “Differentiated” and “Many Helping Hands” approach in supporting students

Ascertaining a student’s Special Educational Needs A balance of consideration of all of these

Categories of SEN Cognitive functioning Adequate cognitive functioning Adaptive Functioning Mild deficit in adaptive

Purpose of Categorisation • Common frame of reference for professionals across different agencies •

Conclusion • Good consensus among professionals in the use of the categories for placement

Next Steps (2012 & beyond) • Parents’ Version of the Professional Practice Guidelines •

Q&A Thank you Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

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Launch of Professional Practice Guidelines on Psycho-educational Assessment and Placement of Students with Special Educational Needs Dr Mariam Aljunied Lead Specialist Educational Psychology Integrity, the Foundation . People, our Focus. Learning, our Passion. Excellence, our Pursuit Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Professional Practice Guidelines for Psycho-educational Assessment & Placement of SEN children RATIONALE • Changes and diversification of special needs landscape • Clarity and consistency in professional advice needed to help parents make informed choices • Shared understanding and standards among professionals across different settings Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Background • Developed by a Multi-Professional workgroup from MOE, KKH DCD, NUH Department of Pediatrics, IMH, NCSS, SPED Schools from March 2010 to September 2011. • Focus on students with SEN (6 – 18 yrs). • Use by psychologists and allied health professionals who are involved in the psycho-educational assessments of students with SEN Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Special Educational Needs Pg 6 A student is considered to have SEN when all of the criteria, a, b, and c, stated below have been fulfilled: a) b) Has a disability and Displays: – – – c) Greater difficulty in learning as compared to majority peers of the same age Or Difficulty accessing educational facilities catered for the majority of peers of the same age Or Some areas of impairment, in terms of social, academic, physical or sensory functioning (i. e. , the student is not on par with the majority of the peers) and Requires different and/or additional resources beyond what is conventionally available Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Pg 7 “As a student’s SEN are an interaction between the student and the environment, the type and level of needs may change over time and across different contexts. ” Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Chapter 2: Psycho-educational Assessment Data 2. 1 Sources of Assessment Data 2. 2 Types and Areas of Assessment 2. 3 User of Assessment Tools and Data 2. 4 Factors to Consider in Selecting and Using Different Assessment Measures Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

User of Assessment Tools and Data Pg 12 2. 3 User qualifications Based on the criteria defined by test publishers, the person conducting Level C tests (e. g. , individually administered tests of intelligence, personality tests, and projective methods) could be an independent user or a supervised user of the test. • An independent user is a registered psychologist with certification by the Singapore Psychological Society or by any of its recognized professional bodies • A supervised user should only administer such tests in the context of a planned supervisory relationship with an independent user of the test. Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Chapter 3: Assessment for Specific Purposes 3. 1 Assessment to Ascertain Appropriate Special Educational Placement 3. 2 Ascertaining Student’s Suitability for Placement into a Mainstream School 3. 3 Ascertaining Student’s Suitability for Placement into an Appropriate Special Education (SPED) School Pg 19 3. 4 Assessment for Access Arrangements (or ‘Special Arrangements’) and Curricular Exemption Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Chapter 4: Assessment Considerations for Specific Populations 4. 1 Students with Visual Impairment 4. 2 Students with Hearing Impairment 4. 3 Students with Cerebral Palsy 4. 4 Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 4. 5 Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder 4. 6 Students with Central Auditory Processing Disorder 4. 7 Students with Dyslexia 4. 8 Students with Intellectual Disability 4. 9 Students with Multiple Disabilities Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Chapter 5: Framework and Pathways for Educational Placement of Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) 5. 1 Framework for SEN 5. 2 Categorisation of SEN 5. 3 Pathways Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Local SEN Policy • A “Differentiated” and “Many Helping Hands” approach in supporting students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS ( MILD SEN) SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOLS (MODERATE-SEVERE SEN) Increasing support, resources, community partnerships 15 Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Ascertaining a student’s Special Educational Needs A balance of consideration of all of these factors: • Child’s Cognitive functioning • Child’s Adaptive Functioning • Resources & provisions in current landscape Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Categories of SEN Cognitive functioning Adequate cognitive functioning Adaptive Functioning Mild deficit in adaptive functioning (delays of 2 -4 yrs) 1 A 1 Mild cognitive impairment (>2 SD) Pg 39 Moderate to severe cognitive impairment (>3 SD) 2 A 3 A 2 B 3 B 1 A 2 Moderate to severe deficit in adaptive functioning (delays of >4 yrs) 1 B Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Purpose of Categorisation • Common frame of reference for professionals across different agencies • Common language between referral agencies and receiving schools • Facilitate transition and resource planning Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Conclusion • Good consensus among professionals in the use of the categories for placement • Agreement ranged from ‘moderate’ to ‘almost perfect’ • Agreement improved when quality of assessment data improves, e. g. : – Information about intervention received – Adaptive beh obtained from multiple sources (parent, teacher, direct observations) Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Next Steps (2012 & beyond) • Parents’ Version of the Professional Practice Guidelines • Joint Continued Professional Development sessions involving multi-agency professionals • Coordination and streamlining of SPED applications • Clearer articulation of admission’s criteria into specific SPED schools • Availability of locally normed standardised tests • Continued consultation and collaboration with all stakeholders, e. g. VWOs, CDC, CGC, SPED Schools, NCSS Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.